Former PA rep Veon to face more criminal charges

By: Scott Detrow

Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett is filing 28 criminal counts against a former lawmaker who’s already facing trial in the Bonusgate investigation.

By: Scott Detrow
scott_detrow@pubradionews.net

Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett is filing 28 criminal counts against a former lawmaker who’s already facing trial in the Bonusgate investigation.

Transcript:
The Attorney General is charging former Beaver County representative Mike Veon with abusing a nonprofit organization he created in order to win personal and political gain.

Corbett says the one-time Democratic Whip used the Beaver Initiative for Growth, which received taxpayer funding through the Department of Community and Economic Development, to dole out no-work contracts to favored consulting firms.

That allegedly includes more than one million dollars to Delta Development, which Corbett says later hired Veon’s brother for a 160-thousand dollar a year position.

Corbett says the Beaver Initiative for Growth was poorly run, pointing to 4.7 million dollars worth of expenses between 2004 and 2006.

Corbett: “Only 23 percent, less than 1.1 million dollars, was used towards actual program expenses. The other 77 percent went to salary, consultants and administrative costs.”

If convicted on all charges, Veon faces up to 162 years in prison. His aide, Annamarie Perretta-Rosepink, is facing six criminal counts, as well.

Note: Neither Veon’s lawyer nor Delta Development have returned calls for comment.

Listen:
Click on the play button below or right click on this link and choose “Save Link As” to download. [audio: reports20090326charges.mp3]